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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
May 04, 2007 02:00 PM Soroca fortress in Moldova
It will take you 3 to 4 hours on the bumpy road to get from Chisinau to Soroca - little town on the Dniestr River where the most picturesque castle of Moldova is located.
Just near the bus station you will find new, cosy private hotel where they offer huge room with bath and TV for 300 leu - it is worth the price...
The Soroca town is little bit run - down... But the fortress from 16th century is interesting. Officially you have to pay 10 leu entry fee but they do not care too much. The view of the Dniestr River from the high walls is great, but you won't find there place selling souvenirs or postcards...
Eateries are also hard to find. Hungry like a tiger I found finally pizzeria (35 leu for middle size pizza and 10 for tasty soup. I met there nice local youths - one of them - Christine was speaking good english. We took a long walk to the view point "The candle of remembrance" at the entry to the town. It is the huge spire with a chapel in the basement... Another nice view of the river and the forest... Thank you Christine!
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May 03, 2007 02:00 PM Confusing Moldova...
One of the greatest tourist attractions close to the capital of Moldova are the biggest wine cellars in Europe - Cricova. Since you will not find tourist info office in the capital you have to ask the people: bus no.2 is going to Cricova but it doesn't depart from the central bus stations but from the street 3 blocks away. I found the place, paid 3 leu for the ticket and after 30 min landed in Cricova. You have to about 1 km go uphill to reach Vinzavod. When I entered the building the guards informed me that tourist facilities in Cricova are closed for renovation till 1st of July. No entry, no degustations. So I went back to Chisinau. The reliable tourist info is important isn't it?
I the afternoon I took another minibus to the wine cellars in Cojusna. This place was open. The wine tour with guide cost 80 leu, or 240 leu with degustation. Not far from Cojusna I visited Monastery of Capriana. It is still under restoration but the upper church is ready and worth the pictures...
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May 02, 2007 02:00 PM The beauty of Old Orhei...
Since Moldova is not so wide you can use the capital - Chisinau as a base for the day trips to the most interesting places. Public transport is cheap - the only problem is that it is rare on the side roads.
To get to the historical place of Old Orhei I took the bus to the junction 11 km before Orhei town. It cost 14 leu. The junction in in the middle of nowhere. But after 200 m walk I found a junk private car working as share taxi - 60 leu for full car to the Old Orhei Monastery - 16 km distance. It has picturesque location in the cliff over the meandring river. There is only one friendly monk still living in the cave. Further on the cliff you will find orthodox church. Close - in the village there are painted houses, traditional share wells and a kind of ethno museum. But the main advantage of theis place is its pastural landscape... Another wonderful sunny day. But I was hitchhiking 1,5 hour on the exit from the village for the friendly Russian driver - Moldova's attractions are still of the beaten tracks!
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May 01, 2007 02:00 PM Bumpy road to Saharna...
I am in Moldova... Do you know that they speak Romanian language here? Most of the people know also Russian. Youth in the towns speak some English... No tourist information office in the capital - search the internet to where to go... The main tourist attractions of this country are the old monasteries. In the morning I took a public bus to Rezina (two hours on the bumpy road - 33 leu, 1 USD - 12,1 leu). Then there is hourly minibus to Saharna Monastery - 3 leu. This monastery has beautiful location in the little gorge. Climbing the hill nearby you will see a beautiful panorama of the Dniestr River...
I wanted to walk along the river to the next cave monastery of Tipova. Local people said it is 8 km and there is a path. Mistake - do not trust them! I spent 4 hours crossing the bush and mountain slopes. In fact this route in not passable. Take the country roads instead!
I reach the caves of Tipova at sunset - tired and dirty. There is a local guide - charming Ludmila. She will try to convince you that the foreigners cannot protograph the site... Of course it is demand for money! But there are also nice people: the orthodox priest "pop-batiushka" offered me a free ride from this deserted place back to Chisinau. Thanks, father!
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Apr 30, 2007 02:00 PM First of May in Chisinau
Yes, there are already hostels in the capital city of Moldova! Apatrament hostels - lets say - with little capacity. But they exist... I booked one "Central YH" via internet - it works...
The advantage of the "Central" is a walking distance to the center of the town. 4 beds only - 10 USD each...
In the former Moldavian Republic of USSR I expected grand celebration of the Labour Day - sorry, no more.... Just some music and folk dancing in front of the opera...
Chisinau has a nice central quarters - parks, government buildings. The highlight of the city is restored Orthodox Cathedral on the main street...
For the gourmets they offer a good choice of tasty and inexpensive wines - the bottle of champagne cost from 2 USD up - why do not to taste - I did!
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Apr 29, 2007 02:00 PM Transdniestria - the state who does not exists...
I bought a bus ticket for 40 hrywna -The shortest route from Odessa in Ukraine to Chisinau - capital of Moldova goes through Tiraspol - the capital of strange mini-country existed from the collapse of the USSR. They should be the part of Moldova but they do not want to...
The staff of the hostel in Odessa said that they did not hear about any problem with border crossing. Yes - the local people do not expect any problem, but the foreigners are the target for the corrupted officials of Transdniestria on entry and exit. They will collect the passports - only from the foreigners. They will take you out of the bus. You will enter one one by one the "control room". They will ask there for a bribe... Very rude people... On both borders the same situation... I refused to pay... - They ask me to go outside and called the next person. During the next search the officer asked me to put everything from my pockets on the table... I know Russian - I survived paying only 10 hrywna - like 2 USD. But the Japaneese guy the day before lost there 200 euro! Never more to Transdniestria!
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Apr 28, 2007 02:00 PM Odessa after years...
I took two flights and finally landed in Odessa - Ukraine. Minibus 117 for 1.25 hrywna took me to Ekaterinskaya Street. There is new hostel worth to recommend - Black Sea Backpackers. I booked them via hostels.com. Entry from the courtyard - not easy to find. It is clean, but offers only dorm beds.
Two charming receptionists: Tanya & Elena speak English and will give you full information. The advantage of this place is the location - just in the heart in the old part of the city. They have free internet and continental breakfast is included.
Odessa changed a little during last 3 years: more elegant shops and pubs. But the famous opera building is still under repair... I took a long walk along the boulewards... It was very pleasant evening!
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Apr 27, 2007 02:00 PM Packing the backpack again...
Tulips are in blossom in my Wojtkowka... But I finished all basic spring works in the garden. When LOT Polish Airlines announced temporary special internet offer for the flights to Odessa I decided to visit unknown to me Republic of Moldova.
It lies out of the beaten track - maybe it is just the reason to go little Moldova for a week... I pack my backpack again!
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Mar 11, 2007 07:00 PM 7th round-the-world voyage is completed!
Home, sweet home... I haven't been here for four months... Sun is shining over Gdansk, no snow here, I hope that spring will come soon. A lot of letters was waiting here on my desk... Thank you for all of them...
My Seventh Round-the-World Voyage is completed... One more dream came true... Thousands of miles, thousands of people, nice and unpleasant adventures, 42 rolls of slides, 22 hours of video recordings, more then 4 thousands of low-res digital pictures... Now the huge work is waiting for me: to develop pictures, put them into catalogues, to copy video into DVDs, to write promised articles...
I am enjoying my country... people around are speaking Polish again... My Wojtkówka is waiting for me...
But hmmmm... How about the next voyage?
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Mar 09, 2007 07:00 PM Sarajevo, Sarajevo...
Trolleybus no.103 for 1,60 mark will take you from the peripherial bus station to the center of the town. It is the long way between the high concrete blocks. You will be surprised seeing on walls of this residential blocks thousands holes and prints of bullets and big shells... Souvenirs of the tragic - not so distant - history of Sarajevo. You will understand how terrible and stupid the civil war can be...
The old town of Sarajevo - Bascarsija, where famous bazaar and the monuments are is very compact - easy to visit on foots...
There are two main options for backpacker's accommodation: pension SEBILJ just on the bank of the river (rooms from 15 euro) and Ljubicica Travel Agency (opposite the historic Sebilij fountain) who directs tourist to the private rooms in the area (also 15 euro/room). Money exchange in the banks only (they charge the commission)...
I took an evening walk through the cobbled streets - to the old mosques and the covered bazaars... Monuments are nicely illuminated. Smells of kebabs, coffee, burek's... People chatting in the eateries... I think that Sarajevo is most interesting and atmospheric of the former republics of Yugoslavia capitals...
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